Glenn Zottola Mouthpiece

I am very proud that RS Berkeley has released a copy of my trumpet mouthpiece, the “Glenn Zottola Trumpet Mouthpiece” as part of their their “Legend Series” now available at select retailers around the world.

The story behind the mouthpiece
In 1952, while walking through a quiet New England woods Frank Zottola came upon a smoothly flowing stream. Subconsciously, his musician’s ear noticed that it was producing a dark and diffused tonal quality. As he wandered along a little further where periodic rock obstructions on the stream’s bed interrupted the water’s flow creating turbulence, he became aware of the increase in brilliance and a compactness of sound. When the stream finally broke into a waterfall, crashing on the descending steps, the pitch, intensity and volume reached its maximum. At that moment, he had a realization that this natural phenomenon could be extended to a practical application in mouthpiece design. He believed that a stepped back-bore design might very well be what contemporary brass players have been searching for to solve their problem of ever increasing range and endurance demands.

I used my dad’s mouthpiece my entire career. I loved the way his patented “step back bore” assisted the upper register. In 1979 I went to him and asked for some slight modifications. I wanted the same ease in the upper register that the step back bore gave me but with no resistance and a very free blow for a very fat sound. He worked on this and came up with a modification to the tunnel leading into the back bore. The result was spectacular and exactly what I wanted. He stamped it January 1979. This became my signature sound for the rest of my career and was not available in his standard line. My dad was a beautiful man and master mouthpiece maker and was loved by all. I would like to thank Les Silver and RS Berkeley for helping me to pay tribute to my dad Frank Zottola with the release of this mouthpiece.

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24 thoughts on “Glenn Zottola Mouthpiece”

Hey glen
Your dad was a true genius
Davinci like and beyond
A pleasure to know and your mom too
For,ar tenant downstairs Larry Garvey
W the Mazda car shop
Taught me many facts of life
Including wine making
A good man
One of the few

Hi Glenn, As you know I knew your father for many years, as a landlord and good friend. He would never refuse to help you with anything you asked. Your mother also,what a saint. Miss them greatly. Never be another pair like them. Tim F.

Hi Claudio ! Don’t know where you can get my dads mouthpiece except the copy of mine from RS Berkeley but that is a 62C with a special backbore my dad did for me. I played that mouthpiece my whole career.

I am in Norfolk, England. I have in my hand a Zottola 62C rescued from a Chinese beginners trumpet that was slated for disposal with other garbage from a closed down primary (grade) school. Thanks to the magic of the Internet I now see this is a mouthpiece of some interest and will keep it.
(The Chinese trumpet, probably not 😉 ) Best wishes.

Hi Glen: I’m Cal Stewart talked to your dad several times. I’m currently using a 64B cornet mouthpiece with an adapter in my pocket trumpet. How does your piece compare with the 64?
I have a 64E and a 64D trumpet piece as well as a 62D cornet piece that I don’t need.

Hi again: I would like to get a trumpet piece rather than use the adapter, but I really like the 64B so I would like the new piece to feel as close to that as possible. Do you think your new piece would be close?